News Archives: Gaming

The Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority is planning to create a Responsible Gaming Fund to enable it to run a campaign on responsible gaming and also help people addicted to gaming, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said today. Speaking during a visit to the LGA’s offices, Mr Fenech underlined the importance of the gaming industry to the economy. He said that revenue from duty on gaming has risen by 40% since 2007 and reached €47.5 million last year. The number of licence holders increased three-fold in three years as the gaming sector grew by 29%. He said the sector now employed…

The Lotteries and Gaming Authority has signed a memorandum of understanding with world football governing body FIFA over co-operation to avoid sports events being manipulated by malicious gamblers, the gaming regulator said. Described as “historic”, the document was signed with FIFA’s in-house agency, FIFA Early Warning System GmbH, to protect and maintain the integrity of football and sports betting. Under the MoU, the LGA, in collaboration with its licensed operators, will provide the necessary assistance to ensure the early warning system works effectively. “Such collaboration will further increase the existing deterrents and will ensure that the possibility of achieving unfair…

Only days after revealing the establishment of its new Malta-based Angler Gaming subsidiary, online gambling operator Betsson AB has announced that it intends to purchase Maltese private gaming firm Nordic Gaming Group for €65 million. Betsson declared last week that Angler Gaming will target approximately 30 non-core markets in South America, Africa and Europe while its latest target for purchase is the operator of the NordicBet, ToBet and TrioBet brands. “Through this transaction, Betsson continues to strengthen its Nordic operations and its leading position among private gaming company alternatives in the Nordic region,” said Magnus Silfverberg, Chief Executive Officer for…

In Malta, the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) regulator has signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) monitoring group to help protect and maintain the integrity of sports and sportsbetting. Brussels-based ESSA is an industry body committed to legal and responsible sportsbetting and works to keep wagering free from insider betting or bet rigging and manipulation. The LGA stated that its memorandum of understanding will see it cooperate with the ESSA in order to ‘avoid the manipulation of sports events and competitions’ by assisting the group with its reporting relationships in collaboration with its licensed…

Israel’s Tel Aviv District Court has overturned a June prohibition after ruling that the nation’s police and Internet service providers do not have the right to block customers’ access to offshore gambling websites. The ruling was the result of a lawsuit brought in August by the Israel Internet Association against the Israel Police after law enforcement officials issued an order requiring the nation’s Internet service providers to obstruct access to a list of gambling sites located abroad including StanJames.com and VictorChandler.com. According to a report from The Times of Israel newspaper, Tel Aviv District Court judge Michal Rubinstein ruled that…

Online gambling operator Betsson AB has established a new Malta-based subsidiary in order to target approximately 30 non-core markets in South America, Africa and Europe. The new Angler Gaming subsidiary, which itself owns another entity with a Curacao online gaming license, is due to be listed on Sweden’s AktieTorget stock exchange from July and will be led by experienced gaming professional Michael Bennett as Chief Executive Officer. Betsson stated that the markets Angler Gaming is due to target comprise less than 0.1 percent of its current total revenues and encompass around five percent of its existing registered client base. “This…

The online gaming fraternity will long remember April 15, 2011, as ‘Black Friday’, the rather predictable christening name for the day when the FBI shut down the biggest international poker sites in the US market. The indictment charges eleven people associated with PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker with bank fraud, illegal gambling offences under UIGEA and money laundering. The ‘seizure’ of the domain names has blocked all US consumers from access to the sites; for example, PokerStars players were met with the message “We are sorry but, due to government regulations, playing real money ring games is not…

Times of Malta has reported that according to the Finance Ministry, Malta was the first EU state to have a comprehensive, robust, strict and highly regulated framework controlling on-line gaming in an effective manner, based on the cardinal principles of player protection, protection of the vulnerable and minors, fair gaming and keeping gaming free from crime. This framework had been in place since 2004, and was in line with the EU treaty principles. The ministry said that Malta had 325 valid online gaming licenses held by 220 registered companies in 2008, and not 500 online registered companies, as had been…

Uefa.com has reported that the Professional Football Strategy Council has agreed on a resolution to request governmental support on betting. The council resolved to further strengthen joint efforts to prevent and combat match-fixing, in line with the resolution against match-fixing adopted by the Professional Football Strategy Council in Monaco on 27 August 2010. The council stresses that financial solidarity depends on redistribution of revenue from the commercial exploitation of top professional football to the grassroots. The council expressed concern at the growing unauthorised commercial use of football competitions for betting purposes and proposed that competition organisers/clubs should have the right,…